Project Wizard
by Transcendent Equinox
Summary: Harry felt like he lacked the freedom and agency to affect his chaotic and disorderly world. And then his life has been transformed into a videogame, the summer before his fourth year at Hogwarts University. Gamer!OP!Harry. Eventual Harry/Fleur/Tonks. Massive Crossover and AU.
1. General Prologue

**Any material that could potentially be considered infringement of copyrights and trademarks should be considered the property of their respective creators or owners. You are reading this of your own freewill, so please refrain from doing so if you don't like graphic violence, explicit sexuality, vulgar language, polyamorous relationships, or usage of drugs. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can leave a review or PM me. Also, if you would kindly review, favorite, follow, and/or share the story with communities, I would greatly appreciate it.**

**A/N: In this story, first year students at Hogwarts are the same age as freshmen in high school. This means that Harry, as a younger than average fourth year, will be turning eighteen before school starts (so that the romance isn't cringe inducing). I have also decided to update the world timeline of Harry Potter by thirty years, bringing it into the 'present' day.**

* * *

**Act One: Prologue**

* * *

**(Unknown Location; July 31st, 1998)**

Harry Potter stared at the world around him, blinking in confusion. He was surrounded by shadowy darkness, facing the floating words, You Are Dead, written in eerie crimson ink. Grayed out below that were the words:

* * *

**You Are Dead**

**Reload Last Checkpoint**  
**Return to Title Screen**

* * *

He couldn't believe what he was reading, or what it meant for him either.

"I sacrificed so much blood, sweat, and tears... and for what? A bloody game?" he muttered softly, still reeling from the shock of experiencing death. He'd accepted that he needed to die, and walked into the forbidden forest to face off against Lord Voldemort one final time. And in the end, it didn't even really matter. All of the conflicts and stress that he fought against for these past seventeen, almost eighteen, years was meaningless.

He cried for a few minutes, allowing his emotions to run their course while he continued thinking about what it was that he needed to do next. His hand wavered over Return to Title Screen, which glowed an even brighter red. It was nearly blinding in its radiance, yet he refused to look away from it. Then all the floating, luminescent ink swirled about before forming several more lines of words:

* * *

**New Game**  
Load Save  
**Settings**

* * *

Only the first and third choices were colored-in, meaning that he could actually select them. After ignoring a single prompt that asked him if he wanted to overwrite his last Checkpoint, he read a small box appeared soon after with this message.

* * *

**Edit Name: (Harry James Potter)?**  
**Edit Date: (June 31st, 1998)?**

**WARNING: CONSCIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF FUTURE EVENTS WILL BE LOCKED FOR GAMEPLAY PURPOSES!**  
**Are You Sure You Want to Start a New Game?**

* * *

He was certain that he wanted to start a new game, because that was the only choice left to him. But, the thought of losing that edge made him a bit nervous. But he just squared his shoulders.

But the date... well, that was definitely something that he was going to change... "Four years ought to do the trick..."

* * *

**(Britain; July 1st, 2020)**

Harry Potter was lying in his bed at Number Four, Privet Drive, counting the cracks in his ceiling. This was becoming something of a habit of his, now that he was back living with his extended family again. It was much too early in the morning for him to be moving about the house, but far too late for him to be able to get any sleep.

Insomnia was a bitch.

Lack of sleep had been ailing him recently, ever since the hectic last few days he'd had at school. The whole fiasco was clouding his mind, with images of Lupin as a werewolf or hundreds of dementors coming for his face constantly plaguing his dreams. He just couldn't sleep anymore.

In fact, his lack of sleep was having such a strong impact on him that he was seeing things. Right in the center of his vision at all times, no matter where he was looking, there was a slowly spinning, translucent lightning bolt (much like the scar on his forehead). Right under the symbol was the word Loading. He wasn't entirely sure how long this odd phenomenon had been going on, but he was feeling just lazy enough to humor it.

As sunlight started filtering its way through his curtains, the lightning bolt and accompanying word began expanding, before they promptly exploded into a shower of silent fireworks that he was sure only he would have been able to see. As the fireworks faded out of view, a holographic menu was left floating before his eyes.

* * *

**Project Wizard**

**Have you ever felt like the world was too chaotic and disorderly? Have you ever felt like you lacked the freedom and agency to affect such a world? Well, congratulations! Your life has been transformed into a videogame! Unfortunately, a side effect of this new development is that you will have to relearn every skill or spell you have ever learned up to this point; be prepared for a very difficult next few weeks.**

**Would you like to take the Tutorial?**

**Yes**  
**No**

* * *

Puzzling at the options provided to him, he, more out of curiosity than anything else, shrugged and clicked Yes, which oddly provided some haptic feedback.

After all, if he was going to be dealing with this for the rest of his life, as he had a strange feeling was going to be the case, he might as well get a good handle on it. Besides, he didn't really know all that much about videogames, and a tutorial was probably the best way to learn.

The phantasmagorical screen minimized into a lightning bolt icon that was spinning, just above the word Loading. Then the icon, which had stayed in the exact center of his vision no matter where he looked, faded away. It didn't appear to be a physically present thing, because it had no reflection in his mirror, which didn't make him feel any better about the fact that he could see it.

* * *

**Quest Unlocked: Tutorial**  
**Objective 1: Explore Your Main Menu!**  
**Completion Reward: 100 EXP**

**HINT: First, explore the menus available to you. To open up your Main Menu, simply think the words 'Main Menu' with note that there are many features that will be kept from you until you meet their requirements.**

* * *

Blinking, the young wizard looked around his bedroom for signs of anything out of the normal. It was a little delayed, but a rushing feeling washed over him, the drums of war pounded in his chest, and some text overlaid parts of reality, something that he was vaguely sure that only he would be able to see.

Frowning at the fact that some things were going to remain hidden to him, he sighed and decided to just go along with it, for the time being. After all, it wasn't like he was going to be able to get rid of this videogame nonsense anytime soon. Without further ado, he did as he was instructed, and was presented with the following:

* * *

**Main Menu**

**Status**  
**Inventory**  
**Journal**  
**Data**  
**Settings**

* * *

After a brief moment wherein he took in all the different things for him to choose from, he idly moved his attention away form the menu to the world around him; he noticed that most of the sounds that he was used to, such as the ticking of a clock, the humming of the air conditioner, or the whirring of a fan, were all dulled. The colors of the world outside the menu were all faded, and the clock on his wall was ticking far slower than it had been before he opened the menu up.

"Interesting..." he muttered, to nobody in particular, before clicking the very first option available to him.

* * *

**Status Submenu**

**Character & Condition**  
**Attributes & Traits**  
**Skills / Styles / Techniques**  
**Abilities & Perks**  
**Titles**

* * *

Harry, in knowing that time was moving far slower than before, knew that he could take his time exploring the possibilities of his newfound power. Even more curious than before, he started working his way through all of the tabs.

* * *

**Character **

**Name: Harry James Potter, Age: 16**  
**Race: Human, ?**  
**Level: 0, EXP: (0/100)**  
**Title: The Boy-Who-Lived**  
**Alignment: True Neutral**  
**Threat Level: Delta**

**Condition**

**HP [Health Points]: 29/40(-10); 4(-1) HP/Minute**  
**SP [Stamina Points]: 26/40(-10); 4(-1, -75%) SP/Minute**  
**MP [Magic Points]: 19/20; 20 MP/Minute**

**Consumption: (80/100)**  
**Hygiene: (93/100)**  
**Waste: (100/100)**  
**Energy: (20/100)**  
**Social: (50/100)**  
**Fun: (2/100)**

**Money (Wallet): 0 G**  
**Money (Account): 29,785 G**  
**Prestige: 5**  
**Piety: 0**  
**Mood: -15**  
**Renown: 500**

**Active Effects:**

**Exhaustion: -1 END; -3 Mood**  
**Insomnia: -50% SP Regen; -2 Mood**  
**Parasomnia: -25% SP Regen; -2 Mood**  
**Unhappy: -8 Mood**  
**Title [Boy-Who-Lived]: +50 Luck, +450 Renown**

* * *

He skimmed over all the annoying goddamn HINTS that kept blocking the actual information he was looking for, before pushing past them. Why did this feel like he was reading a training manual?

When he opened up the next tab, he was shown that he could allocate up to thirty points however he wanted across all twelve attributes. A hint box opened up and said that all attributes could be further trained and improved over time organically, but they would also majorly increase every time he leveled up (based on the ratio of attributes he used throughout the level he was ascending from). So, if he theoretically leveled up after running a marathon, he would increase his Endurance and Agility attributes.

He didn't bother reading any of the hints that popped up on that page, however.

After putting his points where he thought he would get the most use out of them, he ended up with it looking like this:

* * *

**Attributes Tab**

**Strength: 4(-1)=3**  
**Endurance: 4**  
**Agility: 4**  
**Dexterity: 4**

**Intelligence: 6**  
**Spirit: 0**  
**Wisdom: 2**  
**Willpower: 2**

**Charisma: 4(*5)=20**  
**Guile: 0**  
**Perception: 0**  
**Luck: 0 (+50)=50**

**Traits**

**Class: **(Undecided)  
**Focus: **(Undecided)  
**Type: **(Undecided)

* * *

Seeing that he had to decide his traits, he began selecting each...

* * *

**Decide Your Class!**

**Saber**  
**Lancer**  
**Rider**  
**Archer**  
**Berserker**  
**Caster**  
**Assassin**

**Hint: Your Class will unlock certain Ability and Perk trees, and lock you out of others. It will also give Attribute bonuses and penalties.**

* * *

**Decide Your Focus!**

**Diplomacy: Negotiation and pleasing people.**  
**Martial: Skill at warfare and combat.**  
**Stewardship: Management of the demesne.**  
**Intrigue: Skill at manipulation and scheming.**  
**Learning: Self Explanatory.**

**Hint: Your Focus will unlock certain Ability and Perk trees, and lock you out of others. You can reassign your Focus once every moon. It will also give Attribute bonuses and penalties.**

* * *

**Decide Your Type!**

**Fire**  
**Water / Ice**  
**Air / Flying**  
**Earth (Rock & Ground)**  
**Electromagnetic**  
**Plant**  
**Steel**  
**Poison / Toxin**  
**Bug**  
**Fighting**  
**Dark / Demonic**  
**Psychic / Psionic**  
**Ghost / Undead**  
**Dragon**  
**Fairy / Moon**

**HINT: All types have strengths and weaknesses, like an enormous game of rock-paper-scissors. Fire burns grass, grass absorbs water, water puts out fire, etc. Your Type(s) will unlock certain ability trees, and lock you out of others. Multiple Types will be available as you progress through the game, which will further unlock more specialized Ability and Perk trees. Types can also impact the effectiveness of certain actions you take.**

* * *

There were no descriptions of what each class entailed, but he had a pretty good idea as to what each of them did. In the end, he decided that being a Caster would be his best bet. A message popped up once he made his choice, telling him that his Class would install once he Leveled Up.

Looking them all over, while also thinking about how he would need to relearn all of the skills that he had up until this morning, he ended up choosing Learning. After all, he would be able to change it at some point, probably. Another message popped up, telling him that his Focus would install once he Leveled Up.

He was having a very hard time choosing a Type for himself, but he ended up choosing Dragon, since that seemed like they would give him the most options in the future. He would have loved to be Psychic or Fairy as well, but those didn't seem like nearly as good of a choice.

A final message popped up, telling him that his type choice would be installed as soon as he Leveled Up. He was beginning to see a trend there...

* * *

**Abilities:**

**N/A**

**Perks:**

**Magical Blood: Allows the User to Actualize Mysteries  
Wand-Wizard: Allows the User to Cast Spells, and Wand Based Magic Uses 50% Less MP**  
**Gamer Perspective: Sleeping Grants Well Rested Bonus (Increasing Gained EXP By 10%) and Heals Temporary Status Effects**  
**Corrupted Blood: The User's Blood is Poisonous to Enemies and Restorative to Allies; Gained From Interaction With a Basilisk and Phoenix  
****Parseltongue (Incomplete): Allows the User to Speak to Snakes****  
**

**HINT: You can gain more perks and abilities as rewards for Leveling-Up, completing difficult Tasks, increasing Attributes and Skills, or doing other noteworthy things.**

* * *

**Skills:**

**General**

**Household Management (0/100): Child-rearing, Cleaning, Cooking, and Gardening**  
**Riding (0/100)**  
**Speechcraft (0/100)**  
**Stealth Arts (0/100)**  
**Sword Arts (0/100)**

**Rowling-Verse**

**Care For Magical Creatures (0/100)**  
**Charms (0/100)**  
**Herbology (0/100)**  
**Magic Dueling (0/100)**  
**Potioneering (0/100)**  
**Transfiguration (0/100)**

* * *

**Titles**

**Child of Prophesy: The Binds of Fate Will Run Their Course**  
**Boy-Who-Lived: +50 Luck, +450 Renown  
Shining Knight: 5X Charisma With Females**  
**Basilisk Slayer: Critical Hits Deal 5X More Damage**  
**Dementor Banisher: Emotive Magic is 100X More Effective**

**HINT: Achievements unlock Titles, which come with game changing perks. Some actions may re-lock Titles...**

* * *

He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about any of that, but there was no way for him to turn his titles off, so he had to just go along with it, and just make sure that he didn't end up accidentally taking advantage of Shining Knight. However, Child of Prophesy sure seemed ominous...

Next he returned to the Main Menu and clicked on the second choice.

* * *

**Inventory Submenu:**

**Apparel:**  
**1 Underwear: [Dirty][Ripped][Hand-Me-Downs], HP: (70/100); DT: 0, DR: 0; CHA -3**

**HINT: The Inventory Submenu will expand with more tabs as is needed. Certain conditional modifiers of items can lead to decreased effectiveness and further penalties.**

* * *

That's all that he had on his person, which was kind of sad. Then, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning: his glasses weren't in his inventory because he wasn't wearing them. However, he was capable of reading everything in the menu with perfect clarity. This meant that he wasn't actually seeing any of these menus with his _eyes_ at all. He didn't know exactly what it meant, but he could tell that it was pretty significant.

Mulling that epiphany over for a few seconds, he realized that he wouldn't be able to do anything with that information for the time being, so he might as well continue on with the Tutorial.

* * *

**Journal Submenu**

**Repertoire: Complete list of spells and techniques that you have acquired, along with mastery levels for each.**  
**Codex: Contains a beastiary, herbiary, dossier, and encyclopedia on anything or anyone that you come across on your Odyssey.**  
**Recipe Book: Contains every crafting recipe that you discover.**  
**Logbook: Contains all of your quests, missions, goals, activities, objectives, aspirations, and diversions.**  
**Navigation: Contains an actively updating map of the world around you.**

* * *

**Journal Submenu: Navigation Tab**

**Desmesne: Potter Manor (Destroyed), Godric's Hollow Cottage (Destroyed)**

**HINT: Allied Territory is blue, enemy territory is red, contested territory is purple, and neutral territory is grey. Territory ownership is important for myriad reasons: you and your allies can only respawn at hospitals if 'incapacitation' occurs in allied territory; you cannot fast-travel to or from enemy territory (or any location and landmark that you have still yet to discover), and units allied with the owners of the land gain military bonuses. Keep in mind that De Jure ownership and De Facto ownership are not the same thing; rights of ownership are important to many magical rituals and political machinations. As you explore the world, Blackmap will fade away, but Fog of War will rest on all parts of the map that you cannot perceive at the moment. Your perception will also dictate your ability to detect enemy or neutral units, hidden treasures and secrets, and other such things of note.**

**Reputation**

**Hogwarts Staff: 6**  
**Gryffindor: 7**  
**Hufflepuff: 5**  
**Ravenclaw: 4**  
**Slytherin: 3**

**Wizarding Britain: 9**  
**Order of the Phoenix: 10**  
**Death Eaters: 1**

**Weasley Family: 8**  
**Diagon Alley Shopkeepers Guild: 6**

**HINT: Your Reputation is broken down by individual groups and factions, with your reputation made up of the average of all the members' opinions of you, on a scale of 1-10 (1 Despises You, 2 Hates You, 3 Dislikes You, 4 Unfriendly Towards You, 5 Ambivalent Towards You, 6 Friendly Towards You, 7 Likes You, 8 Loves You, 9 Reveres You, 10 Worships You)**

* * *

**Data Submenu**

**Save Game**  
**Save Select**  
**Load Game**

**ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted!**

* * *

Okay, so he wouldn't be able to do anything with the save state of his game, which meant that he probably wouldn't be able to go backwards in time or survive dying. Good thing to know.

Finally he came upon the final submenu, and his jaw promptly dropped open when he came across everything that it entailed.

* * *

**Setting Submenu**

**Gameplay**  
**Audio**  
**Video**  
**Cheats**

* * *

**Gameplay Settings:**

Easy Mode: Multiple Save Slots, Slow-Motion Quick-Access Wheel, Auto-Aim, Aim-Assist, Slow Enemy Detection, Low Enemy Search Persistence, No Enemy Reinforcements, High Resource Regeneration, Increased Resource Replenishment, Low Enemy Damage Dealt, No Group Attack, Low Enemy Attack Speeds, Low Enemy Accuracy, High Likelihood of Enemy Panicking, High Storage Capacity, High Item Spawn Rates, High Potion Affect/Effect Rate, Low Chase Tenacity.

**Impossible Mode (Activated): No Save Slots, Real-Time Quick-Access Wheel, No Auto-Aim, No Aim-Assist, Instant Enemy Detection, Indefinite Enemy Searches, High Enemy Reinforcements, No Resource Regeneration, Paltry Resource Replenishment, High Enemy Damage Dealt, Large Group Attacks, High Enemy Attack Speeds, High Enemy Accuracy, No Enemy Panics, Enemy Resource Regeneration, Low Storage Capacity, Low Item Spawn Rates, Low Potion Affect/Effect Rates, High Chase Tenacity.**

**Survival Mode (Activated): Adds Hunger, Thirst, Hygiene, Bladder, Bowels, and Sleep-Needs System. Adds Stamina Fatigue, Magical Exhaustion, and Resuscitation System. Adds Diseases, Injuries, Limb Condition, and Immune-Deficiency System. Adds Drug and Potion Addiction, Tolerance, and Withdrawal System. Adds Need-Based-Item Penalty and Debuff System. Adds Atmospheric Status System. Adds Over-Encumbered Penalty System.**

**Amalgamation Universe (Activated): ?**

**Fanfic Mode: (Dark/Light) Dumbledore, (Evil/Good) Weasleys, (Abusive/Acceptable) Dursleys. NOTE: Fanfic Toggles Are Permanent.**

* * *

Harry took a moment to stare in horror at the descriptions of Impossible and Survival Modes, before gawking at Fanfic Mode, and the many implications therein. He was curious about what Amalgamation Universe did, but he didn't feel like worrying over that at the moment, not when...

"With the flip of a switch I can change the actual characters of the most powerful wizard in the world, and two different families?" he asked himself, still horrified at the thought of an evil Dumbledore. He swore in that moment to leave them all on Light, Good, and Acceptable respectively. Sure, he was a little worried about their free will, but something told him that they were just characters in a story anyway-his story.

He promptly made sure that Dumbledore was Light, the Weasleys were good, and the Dursleys were acceptable. But when he tried to change the difficulties away from Survival and Impossible modes...

* * *

**ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted! ERROR! Memory Functions Are Corrupted!**

* * *

There was nothing for him to change in the Video Settings tab whatsoever, but the Audio Settings tab had an interesting option. He activated the soundtrack, which should make things more interesting in the future, though he had its volume at a much lower level than everything else.

But then he came upon the final tab from his Settings.

* * *

**Cheats Tab!**

**N/A**

* * *

He stared at the lack Cheats available to him in astonishment, realizing that he would be able to break a game that was pretty much already broken, before exiting out of the menus until he was back to just sitting on his bed.

* * *

**Objective Completed: Explore the Menu Systems**  
**Completion Reward: 25 EXP! Current EXP: 25/100**

**Objective Unlocked: Complete Your Chore List**

**Sub-Objective Unlocked: Cook Breakfast**  
**Sub-Objective Unlocked: Mow the Lawn**

* * *

And it was at precisely that moment that he heard a tapping on the glass of his window, instantly catching his attention. Hedwig was back from her late night flight, likely having gotten herself a nice meal.

As he opened the window and let her back into his bedroom, she jumped onto his outstretched hand and stared up at him with her petulant eyes.

"What the fuck is going on, Hedwig?" was all he could muster the strength of will to say.


	2. Tutorial and Matchmaking

**Any material that could potentially be considered infringement of copyrights and trademarks should be considered the property of their respective creators or owners. You are reading this of your own freewill, so please refrain from doing so if you don't like graphic violence, explicit sexuality, vulgar language, polyamorous relationships, or usage of drugs. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can leave a review or PM me. Also, if you would kindly review, favorite, follow, and/or share the story with communities, I would greatly appreciate it.**

**A/N: In this story, first year students at Hogwarts are the same age as freshmen in high school. This means that Harry, as a younger than average fourth year, will be turning eighteen before school starts (so that the romance isn't cringe inducing). I have also decided to update the world timeline of Harry Potter by thirty years, bringing it into the 'present' day.**

* * *

**Act One: Tutorial**

* * *

**(Britain)**

Shrugging, he sat on the edge of his bed, thinking about the oddity of his existence now that he knew he was the avatar of a videogame player. He began pondering whether this self-awareness was what allowed him to be aware of the Game at all, and whether the people around him were players or characters.

But, only time would tell.

A soft trill caught his attention, and he came to the realization that his pet was staring at him.

"Hedwig?" he queried, staring at the owl. He just silently took in the majestic appearance of the nocturnal creature, suddenly feeling like he was missing something very important.

* * *

**PER Check: 0/2**  
**Failed PER Check**

**_Processing_**

**LUK Check: 50/25**  
**Passed LUK Check**

* * *

**Attribute Trained!  
+1 PER (Current: 1)**

* * *

That's when he noticed her name was floating above her head. "So I guess the Game decided that I needed a Perception of two to notice your name above your head, yet I have a zero, so I should not have been able to see it. However, I lucked out..."

Harry decided not to question it, for the time being. There were a lot of questions to be asked at the moment.

"So do you know what's happening to me?" he asked, rhetorically.

She just sat on his bed, staring at him like he was an idiot. They sat in a dull silence for a few moments, enough time for the gravity of the situation to affect Harry. He let out a breath, blinked, and turned his hardened eyes onto his companion.

"What the fuck is going on?" he groaned, rubbing at his eyes with the palms of his hands.

Time continued to tick on, irrespective of his desire to curl up in a ball and just _think_ about what was happening to him. His unease was definitely noticed by Hedwig, who tilted her head in confusion. Then a light seemed to click in her eyes.

Before he knew what was happening, the tip of her wing was resting on his forehead.

It was oddly comforting.

"Thank you, Hedwig. It means more to me than words can show," responded Harry, smiling softly at his second oldest friend. Then, he turned serious. and requested, "Let's get through this Tutorial as quickly as we can."

The intelligent bird hooted in agreement, a gleam coming to her beady blue eyes.

In all honesty though, thinking about his life as if it were simply a playthrough of a videogame felt very odd, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get over it any time soon. Deciding not to dwell on it, he opened his Main Menu once more to see if anything would inspire him.

Weirdly enough, there was something new there: a Party Submenu.

* * *

**Party Submenu (Capacity 1/4):**

**Hedwig**

* * *

**Party Member Tab 1**

**Name: Hedwig; Age: 4**  
**Race: Owl**  
**Level: 0; Experience: (0/100)**  
**Type: Fire-Flying**  
**Affiliations: Harry Potter**  
**Alignment: Light**  
**Threat Level: None**

**Health Points: 30/30**  
**Magic Points: 0/0**  
**Stamina Points: 100/100**  
**Reputation: 8**

**HINT: Your Party capacity is limited by your CHA. Party members will have more information shown to you the higher your Reputation is with them. Close relationships with Party members can lead to game changing perks and special combination abilities...**

* * *

He couldn't help but whistle at Hedwig's stats.

But when he backed out all the way to the Main Menu, he saw a notification for his Active Quest, reminding him that he still had a tutorial to finish up.

"I really don't wanna do any of these chores. If only I had a house... elf..." He sat there for a moment, wondering if it would be possible for him to actually...

"... Dobby?" he called out quietly.

With a very audible crack, most likely a sonic boom that Harry wasn't going to even begin to try and rationalize with his mediocre knowledge of the laws of physics, a short humanoid appeared in the center of Harry's bedroom.

Hedwig hooted angrily.

* * *

**Quest Unlocked: The Unforgettable Summer**

**Objective 1: Acquire Dobby's Services**  
**Objective 2: ?**  
**Completion Reward: 250 EXP**

* * *

"Mr. Harry Potter sir has called upon Dobby! Dobby is very pleased!" said the excited house elf, hopping up and down. He noticed that the deranged creature was wearing mismatching clothes of all sorts, but didn't want to waste time commenting on Dobby's odd sense of fashion.

"Dobby, I really don't want to be a bother, but can you provide me with food and clean this house for me?" he asked softly.

The elf looked like it was just about to explode from sheer happiness. "Yes Mister Harry Potter Sir, of course Dobby can. Dobby is a good elf, and good elves help their friends!" Again, the little house elf seemed way too happy for Harry's liking, but he'd stomach it if it got him out of doing chores.

"Just remember, they cannot know that you are the one doing the cleaning..." the excitable elf nodded his head vigorously, tears of joy running down its face as he did so.

Immediately, Harry was hit with the notification (accompanied by a choir, fireworks, an electric guitar solo, strobe lights, confetti and balloons, a laser light show, dubstep, and a sultry female voice whispering, "Holy Shit!" into his ear):

* * *

**'Tutorial' Secret Sub-Objective Completed: Ignore Your Chores**  
**Reward: 75 EXP; Current EXP: 100/100**

**'Tutorial' Objective Unlocked: Discover the Level-Up Mechanics**

* * *

**Level Up X1! Current Level: 1.**  
**EXP: 0/125**

**Installed Trait [Class]: Caster... ONLINE  
+50% Resistance to Assassins, Riders, and Berserkers  
+100% Attack Power Against Assassins, Beasts, and Berserkers  
-50% Attack Power Against Riders and Rulers**

**Installed Trait [Focus]: Learning... ONLINE  
****Automatically Double Mental Attribute Gains OR Bank Half Mental Attribute Gains  
Requirements For Learning New Skills, Styles, and Techniques Are Halved**

**Installed Trait [Race]: Human... ONLINE  
Every Man For Himself: Can Shake Off Stun Effects  
Diplomacy: Gain Double Benefits From the Diplomacy Focus  
The Human Spirit: Gain Additional Bonuses to Secondary Stats From All Sources**

**Installed Trait [Type]: Dragon... ONLINE  
+75% Resistance to Fire, Water, Electric, and Grass Types  
-75% Resistance to Ice, Dragon, and Fairy Types  
+75% Attack Power Against Dragon Types  
-75% Attack Power Against Steel Types  
-100% Attack Power Against Fairy Types**

* * *

**Trained: 2 Intelligence (Current: 8)**  
**Trained: 2 Wisdom (Current: 2)**  
**Acquired: 3 AP [Ability Point]**

**Learning Trait: Automatically Double Mental Attribute Gains OR Bank Half Attribute Gains?**

**You Have Chosen to Automatically Double Mental Attribute Gains!**  
**Gained: 2 More Intelligence (Current 10)**  
**Gained: 2 More Wisdom (Current 4)**

**Congratulations! Intelligence Reached 10!**  
**Intelligence Evolved to Rank E!**  
**Acquired: 1 EP [Evolution Point]**

**HINT: When an attribute is improved to a certain threshold, it evolves into a higher Rank (each of which are worth double of the rank prior) and you are granted an Evolution Point. EP's are used to purchase special powers and abilities that go beyond what you would normally be capable of unlocking, though they loosely correlate to which attribute was 'evolved.' The evolution shop has limited options per Character Level, which are affected by your Luck Attribute and a random number generator; the shop will refresh upon the next Level-Up.**

* * *

Harry continued lying in his bed, a blank expression on his face. His thoughts were racing across his mind, moving at a far faster pace than he'd ever been able to before this morning. He couldn't believe that he actually got rewarded for just looking through the menus, and if every single Level Up was as big of a party... Something told him that this wouldn't be the case, but he was immensely happy with the options in front of him.

On the Main Menu, to the right of all the Submenus he'd just gone exploring in, were two brand new options.

* * *

**Main Menu**

**Status**  
**Inventory**  
**Party**  
**Journal**  
**Data**  
**Settings**

**Stores**

**Trait / ****General  
Evolution**

* * *

He decided to again go exploring from top to bottom, starting with the Level Up Store and ending with the Evolution Store.

* * *

**Class Store! Spend ANY AP's on these Class Abilities and Perks:**

**Territory Creation**  
**Magical Item Construction**  
**High Speed Incantation**

**Focus Store! Spend ANY AP's on these Focus Abilities and Perks:**

**Savant: LUK Based Chance For a (Less Than or Equal to Current Player Level) Multiplier to ANY EXP Gain**  
**Bookworm: Double Rewards From Skill Books**  
**Genius: Bank Skill Points Every Level-Up Equal to INT**

**Race Store! Spend ANY AP's on these Race Abilities and Perks:**

**Breton: 25% Resistance to Magic**  
**Imperial: +10 LUK**  
**Nord: 50% Resistance to Water / Ice**  
**Redguard: 50% Resistance to Poison**

**Type Store! Spend ANY AP's on these Type Abilities and Perks:**

**Factor of the Dragon: If 10% of MP Remains AND Player Can Breathe, MP Instantly Refills and Player Has A+ Ranked Magic Resistance**  
**Fire and Blood: Immunity to ALL Burn Effects Regardless of Source; 100X CHA With Dragons.**  
**Tongue of the Dragon: Gain the Ability to Speak the Ancient Language of Dragons; Can Absorb Dragon Souls.**

* * *

**General Store! Spend ANY AP's on these Perks:**

**Ladykiller: 2X CHA With and +10% Damage to Characters of the Opposite Sex**  
**Confirmed Bachelor: 2X CHA With and +10% Damage to Characters of the Same Sex**  
**Making Mommy Proud: Permanent Buff to Charms and Potions Training**  
**Making Daddy Proud: Permanent Buff Transfiguration and Defense Training**  
**Thief of the Night: Night Vision, Sneaking, Lockpicking, and Pickpocketing Training**  
**Huntsman: 75% Additional Critical Damage Against Nonhumans; Permanent Buff to Survival Skill Training**

* * *

He immediately discounted all of the General Perks, since they felt a lot more, well, general than what he was looking for. All of the options in the Type store proved to him that he made the right choice in choosing Dragon as his type. He was also satisfied for his options in the Class and Focus stores as well.

After a lot of deliberation, he decided that he needed to choose Factor of the Dragon first, since it would essentially grant him unlimited MP and an enormous boost to his Magic Resistance. With that chosen, he didn't need the Breton racial trait at all, and that was the only one that truly caught his attention, so he skipped the Race Store too.

Learning was a hard store to look through, since everything seemed geared towards making him stronger in the long run, but he quickly determined that Genius would be the best for that, which he quickly ended up purchasing. After that, it felt pretty obvious to him that the best option from his Class Store was High Speed Incantation, which would exponentially increase his spell casting speed.

After all 3 of his AP's were spent, he turned his attention towards the Evolution Store...

* * *

**Evolution Store! Spend your 1 EP on one of the following Evolution Abilities:**

**Hero: [Tinker] Specializes in manipulating and enhancing wavelengths and frequencies.**  
**Dinah: [Thinker] Has the ability to calculate the chances of a particular event occurring.**  
**Victor: [Thinker] Can steal learned skills and talents through proximity to others.**  
**Dauntless: [Trump] Can imbue any object with a 'Charge' once a day for permanent, accumulating buffs.**

* * *

Again, he was having a hard time deciding what to pick. As time ticked on, he discounted Dinah's power just because calculations sounded really boring to him, and it sounded suspiciously similar to Divination for him to put much stock in it.

While thinking about which of these powers would get him the best results in the long run, he came to the conclusion that Victor was the worst option. It would be better in the short term, since he wouldn't need to work hard for his EXP, but he would eventually reach a point where that wouldn't cut it for him anymore. Plus, that power felt rather dark to him.

That just left him with Dauntless and Hero. As he looked between the two of them, he came to the conclusion that either one would have the potential to make him powerful in the long run.

And so he chose Dauntless, more on a whim than anything else.

Looking at the clock, he came to realize that only about ten seconds had passed since he initially Leveled Up, somehow.

"Guess I'm thinking a lot faster," he muttered to himself. He thought about the implications of his frightening increase in processing power, and what that could mean for him as a person. He wondered if he should even tell Hermione about this, since she would probably be jealous. Then he felt bad about thinking such a negative thought about his best friend. Then he decided that he wouldn't tell her. Then he realized that she would probably be able to figure it out all on her own. Then he decided that he actually would tell her.

Less than a second had passed since he finished saying the word 'faster.' Dobby was still staring at him in confusion; all of his searching through menus had taken less than a handful of seconds in the real world (if that's what this place even was).

"Holy shit."

"_BOY_! It's time for you to do your chores! I want you to dust, vacuum, and mop the whole house, take all the trash out, do everyone's laundry, mow the lawn, pull weeds, trim our hedges, wash our cars, and repaint the parts of the fence that need touching up! Until then, you won't get any food!" screamed up Vernon, before he began stomping up the stairs.

Groaning, Harry looked pleadingly at Dobby.

Dobby smiled, nodded, and disappeared in another pop, which set off even further shouting throughout the house, but he didn't respond to any of it. Sighing, he laid down on his bed happily, his wand twirling through his hands (he'd gotten to keep it this summer thanks to liberal threats of siccing his murderous godfather on the Dursleys).

* * *

**'Unforgettable Summer' Objective Completed: Acquire Dobby's Services**  
**Reward: Dobby (Companion)**

**'Unforgettable Summer' Objective Unlocked: Move Out of the Dursley House  
'Unforgettable Summer' Sub-Objective Unlocked: Contact, and Rendezvous With, Sirius Black**

* * *

**'Tutorial' Objective Complete: Discover the Level-Up Mechanics**  
**Reward: 75 EXP; Current EXP: 75/125**

**'Tutorial' Objective Unlocked: Enter the Mind-Scape**  
**'Tutorial' Sub-Objective Unlocked: Learn How to Meditate**  
**'Tutorial' Sub-Objective Unlocked: Successfully Meditate**

* * *

"... We've got a long way to go..." he mused aloud, talking more to himself than to Hedwig. "Guess I'll charge up my wand for today..."

* * *

**(Southern France, With Fleur)**

Fleur Delacour stood barefoot in the shallows of her family's beach, her dainty feet gently brushed by the sugary sand as it swirled about within the rolling waves. Smiling softly to herself, she took in the vibrant sunrise on the calm Mediterranean Sea, and serene peace nestled into her very soul.

It was so warm, and soft, and comfortable in this place. This was her place, a secret where she alone came whenever she wanted to get away from it all.

She closed her eyes, and felt the soft ocean breeze tingling across her bare skin. It felt like a hundred tiny kisses rushing across her body all at once. The taste of saltwater remained on her luscious lips from the soft spray of the waves, a taste that her tongue slowly gathered up.

Nothing could tear her away from this place. Nothing could-

* * *

**Project Witch!**

**Have you ever felt like the world was too chaotic and disorderly? Have you ever felt like you lacked the freedom and agency to affect such a world? Well, congratulations! Your life has been transformed into a videogame!**

**Would you like to take the Tutorial?**

**Yes**  
**No**

* * *

"Qu'est-ce que l'enfer est un jeu vidéo?" she growled out, her tranquil mood thoroughly ruined by whichever imbecilic gods thought to ruin her perfect morning moment.

* * *

**(With Viktor)**

The quidditch prodigy was laying in an Alaskan King sized bed, with a beautiful blonde on his right, a cute brunette on his left, and a few more women (he wasn't actually sure how many) lost in the sheets. The gentle rise and fall of their chests were going at their own tempos, the touch of their skin against his was just so...

Monotonous. He never thought he'd see the day when he'd get bored of having orgies with supermodels, pornstars, and _high_ class escorts, but that's just how it ended up.

He let out a soft sigh at the thought, before noting the time. The sun was just starting to come up through the curtains, which meant that it was just about time for him to start falling asleep; today wasn't a practice day, after all.

The man looked curiously at the evidence of morning's arrival, before eyeing the empty bottle of firewhiskey that was in between his groin, and a lovely and enthusiastic redheaded 'masseuse' who was gently snoring and coating his lap in her drool (not that that was any different from when she was awake).

He almost thought about calling his house elf for another bottle of Ogden's Finest, but there was something far more pressing on his mind at the moment. He rubbed at his eyes groggily, hoping that the hallucination would disappear before opening them again.

It was still there. He groaned, rolled roughly out of the bed, then tossed a pile of cash into the center of his bed.

* * *

**Project Wizard**

**Have you ever felt like the world was too chaotic and disorderly? Have you ever felt like you lacked the freedom and agency to affect such a world? Well, congratulations! Your life has been transformed into a videogame!**

**Would you like to take the Tutorial?**

**Yes**  
**No**

* * *

**(With Cedric)**

The Pride of House Hufflepuff was sitting in a cozy nook at the top of a sycamore tree, dead in the center of his family's garden.

He was tossing an apple up into the air, adding just enough spin to keep things interesting. He cut a piece of the apple off after each toss with a small knife, before plopping it into his mouth. It was such a juicy, crisp fruit that he almost couldn't limit himself to one slice per toss.

But that was the game he'd created, so he was going to stick with it.

Then, all of a sudden, he dropped both the apple and the knife, and almost followed them out of the tree due to his shock.

"How is this... possible...?"

He was looking at the translucent box before his eyes with wonder, a sense of adventure swelling up through his stomach.

* * *

**Project Wizard**

**Have you ever felt like the world was too chaotic and disorderly? Have you ever felt like you lacked the freedom and agency to affect such a world? Well, congratulations! Your life has been transformed into a videogame!**

**Would you like to take the Tutorial?**

**Yes**  
**No**

* * *

"I think I'm ready for a bit of an adventure..." he was always up for something new.

Perhaps this was a sign that he _should_ go to the mysterious tower that appeared overnight in the middle of the Sahara...

* * *

**(With Albus Dumbledore, In Hogwarts)**

**New Players Have Entered the Game! Updates Have Gone Through!**

* * *

**(With Tom Riddle, In Little Hangleton)**

**New Players Have Entered the Game! ****Updates Have Gone Through!**

* * *

**(With Nicholas Flamel, In Southern France)**

**New Players Have Entered the Game! ****Updates Have Gone Through!**

* * *

**(With ?, In ?)**

**New Players Have Entered the Game!**

* * *

"How interesting," said all three old men, in eerie unison. The fourth, a stranger living in a far distant land, merely continued on with their day.

* * *

**A/N: I've never read a Gamer Fic in which multiple characters are Gamers. I think this will make things a lot more interesting...**


	3. First Dungeon and Boss

**Any material that could potentially be considered infringement of copyrights and trademarks should be considered the property of their respective creators or owners. You are reading this of your own freewill, so please refrain from doing so if you don't like graphic violence, explicit sexuality, vulgar language, polyamorous relationships, or usage of drugs. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can leave a review or PM me. Also, if you would kindly review, favorite, follow, and/or share the story with communities, I would greatly appreciate it.**

**A/N: In this story, first year students at Hogwarts are the same age as freshmen in high school. This means that Harry, as a younger than average fourth year, will be turning eighteen before school starts (so that the romance isn't cringe inducing). I have also decided to update the world timeline of Harry Potter by thirty years, bringing it into the 'present' day.**

* * *

**Act One: First Dungeon and Boss**

* * *

**(Britain)**

**Skill Created Through Continuous Action: Mental Arts**  
**Mental Arts Technique Created Through Continuous Action: Meditation**

**'Tutorial' Sub-Objective Complete: Learn How to Meditate**  
**'Tutorial' Sub-Objective Complete: Successfully Meditate**

**Entered Dungeon: Mind-Scape**

**Objective Complete: Enter the Mind-Scape**  
**Completion Reward: 100 EXP**

**Objective Unlocked: Explore the Mind-Scap**

* * *

Shrugging, Harry opened his eyes and found himself in a dark space, with a spotlight on him and only him.

He didn't know where the inexplicable light was coming from, but he wasn't about to complain, since it allowed him to at least see something.

He stood up from the hardwood floor, wondering why his mind-scape was seemingly made of holly. "Well this place is oddly depressing," said Harry. It was all dark, nothing to be sensed at all. Of course Hedwig stated that his mind-scape would appear to be empty, because he hadn't yet explored his subconscious. Or something like that.

Then he heard it.

There was a baby crying out, somewhere in the darkness surrounding him. It sent a chill down his spine, and he decided to whip out his wand, which was somehow still on his person, even though he was inside his own mind.

However, as he walked, he noticed that the path he walked was illuminated by the spotlight as well. He began searching around, his eyes straining for the creepy infant.

He knew, from his many encounters with the dementors, that there were many things hidden within the dark corners of his mind that could bring him to his knees if he came across them, and he didn't want to be unprepared.

He was walking around for nearly five minutes, slowly coming closer and closer to the source of the wailing, until he finally found it. It was a baby, but not quite. It looked more like a fetus, pulled out of its mother and left in this dark place. But that didn't make any sense, because he didn't have any idea why something like this thing would be in his mind.

"What the... what are you supposed to be?" he asked softly as he approached, stopping just short of it. He wanted to poke it with his foot, but something told him that that'd be very improper and rude. Or something. His sense of humility was eroding quickly, and it probably had something to do with him now knowing that he was just a part of some elaborate videogame.

This space, the representation of his mind in such a way that he himself could perceive and interact with it, was nothing more than a simulation in a game. Probably.

Shrugging, he reached over to pick the child up. And as soon as he touched it, the crying stopped. In its place came high-pitched maniacal laughter, the kind that he was intimately and hauntingly familiar with. This baby had the voice of Voldemort.

He dropped the baby out of instinct, but it clung to his body, and he saw that his HP, MP, and SP were beginning to drain.

"Fuck," he said, trying desperately to rip the thing off of him. It took all of his might, but he ended up detaching the vampiric creature and throwing it like a football off into the distance. But the laughter never stopped. In fact, it only started to grow, and then it started to surround him.

Another spotlight formed, where he intellectually knew the baby landed.

But in its place was a copy of him, one that was laughing hysterically and had snake-like red eyes. Nothing too crazy; just the eyes of a person possessed by the shade of Dark Lord Voldemort.

"Fuck, Indeed," said the copy, his voice a dual-tone between Harry's own and Voldemort's. "I was wondering when you'd finally make your way down here. Although, I thought it'd happen after you started learning the mental arts... No matter. I'm going to kill you and take over your body now."

"Of course you are."

It was around this time that Harry realized that the being he was facing had a name floating over its head, much like Hedwig did. "Lord Voldemort's Final Horcrux?" he wondered aloud. Shrugging, not even going to try asking the freakish thing in front of him what a horcrux was, he pulled out his wand and entered a dueling stance similar to a fencer.

But then he noticed that, apart from the name, there was also a health bar below it.

* * *

**HINT: You'll see the health bar appear around a non-playable character (NPC) when you've entered combat with them. The higher your PER and/or Observation skill is, the more information you'll be able to glean from an enemy in this manner.**

* * *

The two mirror images gave each other bloodthirsty grins, before pulling their wands back. "Let's do this," said Harry, somewhat surprised by how eager he was to enter combat with a being that should by all rights terrify him.

It grinned back and said, "Yes, let's."

* * *

**'Tutorial' Objective Complete: Explore the Mind-Scape**  
**Reward: 100 EXP; Current EXP: 180/125**

**Level-Up Delayed! Dungeon Must Be Completed!**

**'Tutorial' Objective Unlocked: Kill Lord Voldemort's Final Horcrux**

* * *

**Project Wizard Soundtrack: An Erisian Autumn by Angel Vivaldi**

* * *

Raising his wand, Lord Voldemort's Final Horcrux shouted, "_Avada Kedavra_!" A jet of brilliant green light erupted from the mental construct's wand, and Harry felt his stomach clench.

He remembered the odd dreams he had about his parents' deaths, the Dark Lord's cruel laughter followed by green light. He knew what curse the thing in front of him just cast. He didn't even need his measly perception to tell him what it did.

Instantaneous death.

Harry completely dropped to the ground, landing flat on his stomach and knocking the wind out of his lungs. But he survived the opening attack, and was ready to retaliate the moment he was marginally more safe.

Gritting his teeth, the boy shouted the first thing that came to his mind, "_Expelliarmis_!" It might not have been the most impressive spell to use against a dark wizard, but it was more than enough to test his opponent.

* * *

**You Have Not Learned That Spell Yet!**

* * *

And it actually revealed quite a lot, to Harry's shock and growing horror. He could not use any spells that he used to know prior to his life turning into a videogame, because he hadn't yet relearned any of them.

"Shit."

Harry's enemy just grinned at him. "You truly are a sorry excuse for a wizard, you know that? This is how you do it. _Expelliarmis!"_

And then something very peculiar happened. Because the spell was demonstrated for him from within his own mind... he intrinsically understood what the horcrux had done to cast it.

Harry could see the magic circulating through his enemy's body and wand. He could follow, understand, and perfectly mimic the adroit wand movement and exact specifications of Voldemort's mouth moving through the incantation, even as he dodged the incoming spell.

Now he knew how to use the disarming charm, again.

"_Expelliarmis!_" This time, the spell shot forth from his wand just fine.

An energy pulse from Voldemort's core reached the wand in milliseconds, just before he casually deflected the disarming hex by batting it aside with his wand, completely forgoing a shield altogether. In that moment, Harry discovered how to parry enemy fire, thanks to the battle being in his mind.

* * *

**Magic Dueling Technique Unlocked: Wanded Parry**

* * *

Realizing that his nemesis was allowing him to learn things preternaturally swiftly, Harry felt a shiver run down his spine. But now was not the time to celebrate. Now was the time to fight.

At that moment, Harry grimly realized that he had no cover to hide behind in the dimly lit wooden world. There was no way in any of the hells that he'd be able to take a fully-grown wizard on in a straight fight, let alone a powerful dark sorcerer known for being on par with Dumbledore himself. He needed somewhere to hide.

It was just as these thoughts entered his mind that walls began raising out of the floor up to about his waist in height, consisting of holly wood just like the floors. Now, he had some cover. Harry blinked at that, wondering how this came to be. He certainly didn't consciously try to change the terrain. Putting conscious effort into trying to trap his enemy in a wooden cage, nothing happened.

"Huh. Guess it's gotta be a subconscious need," said Harry.

Shrugging at that, Tom Riddle began waving his wand and shouting, "_Impedimenta_! _Incarcerous_! _Stupefy_! _Immobulus_! _Expelliarmis_!" Harry noticed that each spell made a tiny unique dent in his MP bar, as he learned it from the stupid horcrux that was feeding him spells but not enough to be too detrimental.

They were all non-harmful options, of which he was sure none would be very effective against his current enemy.

But therein lay the issue. On one hand he wanted to get out of mortal peril as soon as possible, as well as receive his experience and begin the process of leveling up. But on the other hand, something told him this fight would be invaluable to him.

It was a bit odd for him, having not expected his opponent to be as powerful as he was. However, none of his final opponents had been at their peak ability; they were all weakened by one thing or another, completely unlike the being that stood before him.

Voldemort kept stalking forward calmly, parrying each hex as if they were flies before the ultimate fly-swatter that was its wand. Harry's spells crashed to the ground and deteriorated before he could try doing anything else.

Harry was completely unable to land a hit on his opponent, and the demon-eyed bastard didn't even seem to be putting any effort into his parries as he relentlessly marched forward.

Then, when they were standing no less than ten feet apart, Voldemort unleashed his own volley of spells.

Harry thought that his spell-casting speed was pretty good. But in the face of the sheer cascade of spells unleashed on his position, he blanched and could only duck behind the wall. Sticking his head over, he saw his opponent gather an enormous amount of energy into his wand. With a contemptuous smirk, Voldemort release an extra-powerful, "_Bombarda Maxima_!"

* * *

**Magic Dueling Technique Unlocked: Effect Amplification**

* * *

That wall was now no more, but fortunately he rolled away in time, sacrificing some SP as he did so.

Harry almost laughed at that notification. At least he was getting something useful out of this near-death experience (or actual-death experience, since he wasn't altogether sure that he could escape this gaming sequence unscathed).

He hid behind another wall, if only to catch his breath for a few precious seconds. The wood lasted mere moments under an assault of a half-dozen, "_Confringo_" and "_Reducto_" spells raining down on it. Then things began to get much more intense; Voldemort upped the ante, as it were. And Harry's 'eyes' were greedily drinking in the details of his arsenal.

"_Bombarda Maxima_!" another explosion, though not supercharged. "_Infriga_!" causing the temperature to plummet and ice to form over the ubiquitous wood. "_Confringo-Waddiwasi_!" the resulting explosion shattering the ice and wood, using the splinters and debris in a manner much like a fragmentation grenade. Harry managed to evade most of the devastation, only receiving minor cuts and bruises for his efforts.

* * *

**Skill Unlocked: Elemental Manipulation**  
**Skill Unlocked: Shape Manipulation**  
**Magic Dueling Technique Unlocked: Spell Weaving**

* * *

His HP dropped about a twentieth from that, and he frowned at the loss of precious vitality.

Harry was panting just from trying to survive, and the being he was fighting still continued to march forward with nary a care in the world. "_Agua Eructo_!" called Voldemort, a laser-like beam of water erupting from the tip of its wand and easily piercing Harry's next wooden defense. A diagonal slash cut the wall in half, leaving rivulets of water running down the seemingly still solid wall to form tiny puddles around Harry's supine body.

The wall promptly slid down slightly. "_Forzare Maxima_!" called out Voldemort's hauntingly familiar voice. A concussive force smashed into the barely erect wall, destabilizing it. It almost fell on Harry, had he not rolled out of the way in time. "_Gravitas Deprimo_!" Voldemort cackled in amusement, increasing the downward thrust of the falling wall, the resulting impact causing a shockwave that knocked Harry back onto his butt.

There was also a dent in the floor, a small crater with hairline cracks leading mostly towards Harry, where all the water suddenly was. "_Glacius Tria_!" cackled the Monster, the water suddenly flash-freezing into a spear that leapt off of the ground and stretched towards Harry's bespectacled eyes.

"_Impervius_!" the Boy-Who-Lived screamed, while pointing his wand at his glasses, hoping that it would at least do some good.

* * *

**You Do Not Know That Spell!**  
**Lucked Out! Spell Was Actualized!**

* * *

The razor-thin needle turned slightly to the right, before the whole spear cracked and broke apart from the strain of supporting its own weight._ 'Thank the gods for Hermione's help during that stormy quidditch match last semester,'_ thought Harry. He was going to kiss her the next time he saw her, on the cheek.

Harry picked up the sharp tip of the broken ice spear, before tossing it straight up into the air. He could see the reflection of the world beyond his temporary sanctuary of wooden wall, if only for a brief, warped second.

Within a second, Harry pinpointed the Horcrux's location, pointed his wand at the ice shard, and said, "_Waddiwasi_!" Again, the drop in MP was negligible.

The point of ice shot towards his clone with the force and speed of a bullet, a sonic boom letting him know that it broke the sound barrier in the pursuit of his enemy. Since it wasn't a spell, the Monster wouldn't be able to deal with this attack in the same... In a daze, Harry watched his opponent lazily say, "_Protego_," creating a tiny shield around his wand tip, allowing him to parry it to the side all the same.

"Fuck everything in existence," said Harry, really fed up with the way things were going.

Spiny vines of wood began erupting from the floor, attempting to wrap around Voldemort. Harry would've like to take credit for getting his mind to do that for him, but it was more accident than anything else.

Rather than stand still and simply parry the vines, the Shade began actually evading these attacks. Perhaps it showed that he had a healthy amount of respect for Harry's mind, or maybe he just didn't see Harry himself as that much of a threat.

And seeing how the fight had been going so far, Harry wouldn't blame the Doppelganger.

"_Fumos_," he said, causing fog to cover his position. "_Silencia_."

* * *

**You Do Not Know That Spell!**  
**Lucked Out! Spell Was Actualized!**

**You Do Not Know That Spell!**

* * *

He hopped over the wall as noiselessly as he could, since his silencing spell failed to go through, his approach hidden in the fog. He watched as his Clone cart-wheeled, rolled, flipped, handsprung, jumped, and sidestepped all of the tendrils and brambles of wood that were trying to ensnare and impale him, raining down on him from the ceiling above, or jumping up from the floor below.

* * *

**Skill Unlocked: Evasion**

* * *

Harry paused and watched as the being retaliated even as it dodged.

"_Expulso_!" came his own voice from the mouth of the Horcrux, bringing forth a pressurized explosion that whipped even Harry about from this distance. The world screeched a tumultuous scream in response and a wall of intense vibration smashed into the enemy, who faltered but still dodged the next wooden spike it landed on.

Harry began concentrating on gathering as much energy into his wand as he could, hoping that this would be safe. A dome of wood surrounded him, hopefully allowing him the time he needed to pull off his next feet.

The Monster snarled, "_Incendio Tria_!" resulting in a ball of flame that could be felt from dozens of feet away.

Harry's control over his own pooling energy slipped somewhat, and he could barely hold onto the stick of wood slick with his own sweat from stress. But the wood caught the spell, seeming to be somewhat fire resistant, so he allowed himself to continue focusing on the task he assigned himself.

"_Forzare_!" continued the Shade's assault, producing an invisible force that actually buffeted Harry's bunker, but the young wizard forced himself to block out any negative thoughts.

The intense blast of wind apparently lifted the entity high into the air, because a few moments later, Harry watched as Voldemort descended in a spinning freefall, gritting his teeth as he allowed his emotions to begin fueling his spell too.

"_Deletrius_!" screamed the Horcrux, generating a beam of eradication.

Harry jumped out of the way, though it caught the heel of his left shoe ever so slightly; the rubber was just gone.

His Doppelganger began screaming, even as he continued moving every single drop of his magic into his wand. "_Sonorous_!" screeched Voldemort, the world blurring as the air vibrated from his powerful hex.

Harry's eardrums burst, blood leaking down the sides of his face, yet still he continued. His blood was beginning to thump to a certain beat.

"_Sectumsempra_!" brought forth ethereal and invisible blades, though their frenzied slashes merely caught the wood behind where Harry had been mere moments before. "_Diffindo_!" followed by, "_Defodio_!"; severing hex followed by gouging, but neither hit their mark even if they were a bit closer. Voldemort began to growl, an almost animalistic sound, before standing up straight and entering a new stance.

Harry saw that his body was rippling with magical energy now.

"_Agua Eructo_!" the piercing water-beam.  
"_Glacius Tria_!" the prickly ice-spear.  
"_Bombarda Maxima_!" the massive explosion.  
"_Forzare Maxima_!" the concussive force.  
"_Ventus Tria_!" the tempestuous whirlwind.

Warily watching from his position, Harry noticed that the Horcrux's wand-motions were fluidly leading from one spell to the other, and he wondered if there was some significance to that.

* * *

**Magic Dueling Technique Unlocked: Spell Chaining**  
**Magic Dueling Technique Unlocked: Spell Ricochet**  
**Magic Dueling Technique Unlocked: Spell Bending**

**Attribute Trained: PER!**  
**Current PER: 1**

* * *

Harry merely ignored the notification for the time being. Between the ferocity of Voldemort's casting and the sheer brutality of his choices in curses, nothing would be able to stand up to the Dark Lord's might. It was like sheet metal trying to withstand a Gatling gun, or even a sheet of paper for all the difference it made here.

But then things got even more dicey.

"_Gravitas Deprimo_!" sent the Harry straight to the ground.  
"_Orbis_!" made the ground begin swallowing up Harry's feet.  
With a smirk, the Horcrux said, "_Fulminos_!"  
A bolt of lightning arced from the wand's tip to Harry himself.

Harry felt something deep within him, something that surprised even himself.

"Oh, I'm such an idiot."

The horcrux stopped its assault for a moment, surprise evident on its face. Whether that was due to Harry's declaration or Harry not being harmed by the lightning bolt, he would never know.

"I've got A+ Ranked Magic Resistance now."

Voldemort actually took a step back at that, as if it actually meant something to him. In that moment, Harry was reminded that it had tried to kill him, to take over his body, and was a part of the man who killed his parents so long ago. A shiver of pure, raw Hatred ran down his spine. It was both cold like the arctic and hot like a volcano. And it had a target.

Feeling that he had the adequate amount of energy to bring the fight to an end, Harry pointed his wand at the Horcrux. "_REDUCTO_!" he cried, an orb of destruction almost the size of his chest rocketing out of its tip. This time, a fourth of his MP was drained instantaneously, and he began panting heavily from the exertion.

His MP instantly returned to full.

"_Protego Maxima_!" called out his opponent smugly, lessening the damage by more than enough to simply tank the tiny remainder of the spell that got through.

They then both shot "Bombarda Maxima!" at each other, though neither expected the outcome of such a course of action.

Their spells collided in the air, before a bridge formed between the two wizards. All of the sounds of battle were overwritten by static, the colors of the world seemed to invert themselves, and Harry could feel the magic itself in the air. And then world seemed to implode around them, throwing them both brusquely to the floor.

* * *

**Attribute Trained: LUK! X4**  
**Current Luck: 4**

* * *

"Was that a glitch?" asked Harry aloud, jumping to his feet and gain some more distance.

"Regardless of what that was, you're dead now, Potter," said the Ditto, a feral smile etched into its stony face. Drool was running out of its mouth as it contemplated him, its head twisting to the side like someone in dire need of an exorcism. And then all of its considerable attention was upon him.

"Shit, shit, shit," said Harry, as he began twisting and ducking, jumping and sliding to escape his imminent death. And he had no doubt that if he died in the confines of his mind-scape, that he would die on the outside as well. Nothing had outright told him this, but it was still something that he seemed subconsciously aware of.

Then the Boy-Who-Lived began to show He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named what his own medicine tasted like. He knew the incantations, the wand-movements, and the internal manipulations required for the spells. Now he just needed to let them fly.

"_Incarcerous_! _Carpe Retractum_!" he shouted, creating magical rope and using it like a whip, but missing his opponent who simply weaved in and out of the near-supersonic strikes. "_Bombarda Maxima_!" caused the ground to erupt into a pile of dirt, making his enemy jump straight into the air.

That crazed Monster was already retaliating in midair, using its supernatural agility to fire off two spells while still in the apex of its flight.

Harry frowned as he dodged a purple curse, seeing as it would turn his bone marrow into mud. It led him right into the red one, which would switch his oxygenated blood with hydrogenated blood. He simply parried it away, having not enough time to dodge.

He frowned as he dodged another spell, getting fed up with how things were going. He grit his teeth, thinking about a spell that he had only read about, but he'd seen Voldemort use multiple times over the course of their battle.

It took all of his concentration, but he was forming a tiny shield of sorts, one that could take moderate spell damage before exploding on him. Using his insane reflexes as a legendary seeker, he blocked the incoming projectiles that the Horcrux was shooting off.

Gritting his teeth, he pulled his arm back before chucking the blob of lethally charged ether. It moved at the speed of a regular spell, just shy of breaking the sound barrier, before it smashed into Vol-

Or at least, it would have if his opponent weren't good enough to dodge it. But Harry already had another spell on the way.

"Hold still!" shouted Harry angrily, right as his suped up stupefy hit the ground and exploded, a shockwave of stunning energy released and catching his enemy unawares.

The Monster froze up, falling over for a brief moment before staggering back to his feet. So it could still affect his opponent, but those shockwaves weren't nearly strong enough to keep him bound.

"Oh shit," said the Boy-Who-Lived as his opponent began firing off a spell every second. He also instinctively knew what each of those spells did, and learned just by watching his opponent how to do them. His spell repertoire was growing exponentially the longer this fight went on.

And they all looked really nasty too, the kind that would probably make him wish he were dead instead of whatever it was that they did.

Frowning, he formed another stupefy torpedo-thing, and launched it, before unleashing a slew of Voldemort's own spells right back at him, though not quite as fast. He probably needed to increase his agility before he could do much more than that.

The paralysis wave caught his opponent, as did two very deadly curses. One liquified his bowels, and the other reversed his skin. And just like that, his opponent was on the ground with only a sliver of health left. Deciding to end the fight with the same spell that began his opponent's opening salvo, he pointed his wand at the pathetic thing.

"_Avada Kedav_-"

"Wait," came the creature's pitiful cry.

He blinked and stopped the killing curse, intrigued at just how the Specter was going to try talking his way out of this situation. "And why would I do that? You just told me that you were going to kill me and take over my body. Am I supposed to forgive that kind of shit?" his voice was soft, an edge of steel waiting for permission to behead his enemy.

The horcrux shivered, and said, "Please, have mercy. I beg of you, let me live! I... I'll teach you how to protect yourself! I'll give you all of the knowledge I had in life as a Dark Lord-"

Harry gasped, and saw a menu appear in front of his eyes. It was a dialogue box again, making him think that it would only show up if he had a choice to make that would affect the progression of The Game.

* * *

**Let the Horcrux Live?**

**Yes**  
**No**


End file.
